Department of Computer Science and Engineering

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering's degree programs prepare students for a world where the field of computing plays an increasingly major role in many disciplines. Our faculty members are internationally recognized experts in many computer science specialties including robotics, artificial intelligence, data mining, bioinformatics, network security, human computer interaction, and more.

Tradition of excellence

The beginning of our department can be traced back to the early days of computing in which many Minnesotans played a pivotal role. Our alumni have founded more than 200 companies and hold leadership roles at universities and computer and software companies around the globe.

World-class academics

Our academic programs are consistently upgraded to reflect the latest scientific and technological advances. Undergraduates study software, hardware, and theoretical aspects of computing devices, along with the application of computing in science, engineering, business, and other areas. The graduate program in computer science offers coursework including both theoretical and applied computer science, combined with research opportunities in state-of-the art centers and labs.

Cutting-edge research

Over the last two years, research funding in our department has grown to more than $35 million. Faculty research collaborations span many areas of science and engineering from developing robots used to save lives in the Iraq War to using data mining techniques to map the depletion of rainforests.

Our department focuses research in the following areas:

• Architectures and compilers
• Bioinformatics and computational biology
• Data mining, databases, and geographical information systems
• Graphics and visualization
• High performance computing
• Human computer interaction
• Networks, systems, and security
• Robotics and artificial intelligence
• Software engineering, programming languages, and compilers
• Theoretical foundations

Faculty and students have access to world-renowned computing facilities such as the Digital Technology Center and the Minnesota Supercomputer Institute. Specialized laboratories provide support for advanced graphics and visualization, virtual reality, computer networking, and distributed robotics.

Business and industry connections

Our department has partnerships and joint research projects with major corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, and dozens of others. Government organizations such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health support our research. In addition, the Computer Science Associates, a department advisory council made up of industry leaders, provides crucial input on industry trends.

National rankings

• In 2010, our department was ranked ninth in citations among U.S. public universities.

• We were also ranked 15th for annual number of conferred doctorates.